Buyer and seed potato grower Nick Gordiichuk and Jaap de Zeeuw
Buyer and seed potato grower Nick Gordiichuk and Jaap de Zeeuw
Arizona is one of the fastest growing varieties within the portfolio of Agrico. In Ukraine, Arizona is the No. 1 potato variety. Seed potato grower Jaap de Zeeuw visited buyer Nick Gordiichuk in mid-March in Ukraine. They talk about their special friendship, what it is like to growing potatoes in Ukraine and why the Arizona variety is so popular in Ukraine.
Jaap: “I met Nick about fifteen years ago. He then started working as an agent for Agrico: Agrico Ukraine. He was very keen to bring Ukrainian potato growers to the Netherlands to show how we do it over here. We are one of the companies where those excursions always took place. At one point Nick called me directly that he was coming with a new group of Ukrainian growers. That's how a very good relationship developed between us.”
Nick: “In the Netherlands, I visited several Dutch growers together with potato growers from Ukraine. Then it was not only about potatoes, but also about agricultural life in the Netherlands. In 2018, Jaap came to Ukraine with a group of Dutch growers and by coincidence also visited one of my farms. And since that moment we have been in touch. He is also the first Dutchman who came to my farm during the Russian invasion.”
Jaap: “I felt I had to go to Nick. He had been here with me many times over the past few years. I wanted to see for myself what life is like there and see how Nick organized life during the war. The whole week was quiet when I was there, but the last night in his apartment in Kiev we had to go to the shelters.”
Nick: “The biggest problem we have now is that we only have electricity for four to five hours a day on the farm. In the spring, the Russians bombed the electricity infrastructure. Now that it's warm, that's not a very
big problem. But I dare not imagine what this is like when the temperatures go below zero. I foresee problems soon when we start storing potatoes. Then we will need fans and coolers. Right now we only have problems with irrigation. We can only turn the pumps on for a few hours in the morning and in the evening.”
Nick: “Jaap visited me in the spring. So he could help me with the planter, to plant the potatoes better. And he also brought me a generator, so I can use it when the power goes out. He makes my life easier.”
Nick: “Agrico also helped in late 2022 to get pickups in Ukraine. These pickups are used to pick up wounded soldiers from the front lines. We also say here, pickups save lives. One pickup truck can save as many as four lives.”
Jaap: “I try to help Nick achieve higher yields per acre. We discuss how they grow and fertilize. When we plant here in the Netherlands, we use every square meter. That doesn't happen at all in Ukraine, because they have enough land. First, they drove the tractor with wide wheels in front of the planter, then you push way too much on the ground where the potato has to grow. That's why we have now put the tractors on narrow wheels, so the yield potential is higher.”
Nick: “RVO supports us to rebuild Ukraine. Jaap is training us how to achieve better yields per hectare. We currently have about 40 large potato growers in Ukraine that we are teaching what we have learned from Jaap and Agrico. Jaap is one of our main sources of knowledge for our 'Train the trainer' project, to quickly unlock knowledge with other growers.”
Nick: “I have a very special bond with Jaap. He is like a father to me. We both have three daughters and of course the potatoes that connect us.”
Jaap: “Every two weeks we are in touch about how things are going on the farm, the weather, but also how you feel about the war.”
Nick: “He is a great mental support for me. That someone 2,000 km away thinks of
me and what we are doing here in Ukraine.”
Nick: “Last year, Arizona's sales were 40 percent of the total market. Arizona is the No. 1 potato variety in Ukraine. It is a very robust and strong variety. In Ukraine, only about 10 percent is irrigated. This variety can withstand drought well. Growers here also know that with this early variety, before it gets really hot here, they can already harvest a good yield. Before the end of July
you can already harvest. And it has good virus resistance. I'm not even talking about the taste.”
Jaap: “True, it's not very tasty to eat.”
Nick: “It's no Esmee or Constance.”
Jaap: “In the Netherlands we have the problem of getting enough tubers to
the Arizona. The crazy thing is, the plants in Ukraine actually have lots of tubers.
But maybe they only show me the best plants.”
Jaap: “I plan to go in August going to Ukraine again. Only Nick didn't know that yet. I would like to be present at the harvesting.”
